2007 Darwin Awards

Honoring Charles Darwin, the father of
evolution, Darwin Awards commemorate those who improve our gene
pool--by removing themselves from it.

The Laptop Still Works!
2007 Darwin Award RUNNER UP
Confirmed True by Darwin

The blue screen of death.

(26 February 2007, California) "Driving is not a time to be practicing your
multitasking skills," remarked CHP spokesman Tom Marshall. Oscar, 29, had
been driving on Highway 99 near Yuba City when his Honda Accord crossed
into oncoming traffic and collided with a Hummer. California Highway Patrol
officers found Oscar's laptop still running, and plugged into the car's
cigarette lighter.

Oscar is not alone. Last year, 510 California drivers were charged with
reckless driving while using a TV, video, or computer monitor. A 2001 CHP
study cites cellphone use as the top cause of crashes involving distracted
drivers, followed by fiddling with music. "Anything that distracts you can
kill you, whether it's eating lunch or working on a computer," an AAA
spokesman said.

Oscar was a computer tutor. Hopefully his fatal lesson will teach others
to surf on the information superhighway, not the asphalt superhighway.

Darwin says, "It is against the
rules to receive a Darwin Award if you injure innocent people. I
thought this event might qualify anyway, because the driver was such an
idiot, and the occupants of the Hummer were not seriously injured. Was I
wrong? If the vote score stays low, I will remove this story from the
archive."